Beyond NFTs: 11 Practical Blockchain Applications Shaping Our Future

2. Digital Identity Management

Losing your wallet or worrying someone’s stolen your identity? Blockchain is being used by groups like Sovrin Foundation and Microsoft’s ION project to create digital IDs you control—no need for a giant database run by a bank or the DMV. Imagine unlocking everything from your driver’s license to online banking with a single, secure sign-on, only sharing the info you want. A few US states are testing these blockchain-powered IDs, hoping to cut fraud and make identity theft a lot tougher. The tech’s not perfect and there’s still a ways to go—convincing big institutions to update old processes is never fun. But if you like the idea of choosing who sees your details, blockchain identity just might be your future. You stay in charge, and hackers have a much harder time ruining your day.